This decline can be largely attributed to the government’s social grants programme as shown by various research studies. More than 12 million South African are beneficiaries of social transfers, with 62% of grants going to 40% of the poorest households and 82% to the poorest 60% of households. It is widely documented that without social grants poverty would deepen over time rather than improve in South Africa.http://za.boell.org/sites/default/files/hbs_urban_energy_poverty_report_final.pdf

According to Misselhorn (2010), “the actual numbers of households residing in informal settlements is likely to be significantly higher than estimates by Stats SA.” Misselhorn alerts that evidence from actual research reveals that shack counts undertaken by housing officials (aerial surveys supplemented by ground surveys) are more reliable, and sometimes the discrepancy can be as high as 45 percent between Stats SA and municipal department figures. [...] Misselhorn (2010) therefore argues “...that the actual number of households living in informal settlements in South Africa is probably substantially more than the official Stats SA estimate [of approximately 1.96 million households], and that, contrary to what official estimates suggest, there has probably not been a rapid decline in numbers of households living in informal settlements in recent years...http://za.boell.org/sites/default/files/hbs_urban_energy_poverty_report_final.pdf

"Rape is one of the most under-reported crimes in South Africa," noted Shukumisa, an NGO coalition. It points to research, conducted in Gauteng in 2010, that found one in four of women questioned in the study had been raped in the course of their lifetimes, while almost one in 12 had been raped in 2009. But only one in 13 women raped by a non-partner reported the incident to the police, while one in 25 of the women raped by their partner reported this to the police. Rape statistics are, therefore, badly skewed because many women remain silent about sexual violence.[2] http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/CQ41Jewkes.pdf

City Improvement Districts worldwide have proven to be one of the most effective and sustainable urban and place management institutions. In Johannesburg, there are 19 legislated CIDs, including areas such as Braamfontein, Main Street, Rosebank, Sandton, Newtown, all of which have experienced dramatic turnarounds and economic revival through such interventions.http://mabonengcid.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Business-Plan-Maboneng-CID-FInal-2014.pdf

A [bad] building is one that has deteriorated to such an extent that its market value is below the outstanding debt owed. Living conditions in the building have become extremely harmful to the occupants. The buildings are usually controlled by slumlords who overfill the flats, charge exorbitant rents and allow the buildings to become rundown...Slumlords neglect to pay the rates over to the City, and electricity and water are terminated, further jeopardising the quality of life of the tenants.[1] http://urpl.wisc.edu/lecturers/Klug%20-%20CLTs%20in%20Jo-burg%20-%20Final-Draft-Nov2013.pdf[2]http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/jspui/bitstream/10539/12872/2/Cheap%20rental%20accommodation%20in%20the%20inner%20city%20of%20Johannesburg.pdf[3] http://www.seri-sa.org/images/Minding_the_Gap.pdf